Located less than a mile from Orient Point, the tip of Long Island’s North Fork, lies the 843 acre, pork chop-shaped Plum Island.

Most famously, the island houses the Plum Island Animal Disease Center. What is lesser known is that the approximately 90% of Plum Island that is undeveloped not only holds significant ecological and scenic sites -- it also holds nationally-significant artifacts and historic buildings, including the 1870 Plum Gut Lighthouse and the 1897 Fort Terry army barracks and weapons batteries.

Now, Plum Island's wildlife habitat is in danger of being sold to developers. In 2008, Congress approved sale of the island to a private party, with plans to move the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility to another state.

The approximately 90% of Plum Island that is undeveloped not only holds significant ecological and scenic sites -- it also holds nationally-significant artifacts and historic buildings – including the 1870 Plum Gut Lighthouse and the 1897 Fort Terry army barracks and weapons batteries. Plum Island’s scenic value, ecological resources and historic sites offer tremendous potential for recreation and public education, and make it an ideal candidate for permanent preservation.

The U.S. government recognized the ecological importance of Plum Island when it declared the Peconic Estuary, where the island is located, one of 28 “Estuaries of National Significance.” Hundreds of thousands of federal dollars have been spent on protecting this estuary and the hundreds of wildlife species that it supports. Development of Plum Island would run counter to the long standing effort to protect this federally recognized body of water. Well-respected private agencies have also recognized the importance of Plum Island and its adjacent smaller islands. Nearby Great Gull Island is a world class tern research station, owned and operated by the American Museum of Natural History. In addition, The Nature Conservancy has designated Plum Island as one of the “Last Great Places on Earth.”

In response to the proposed sale of Plum Island a number of conservation, environmental, and civic organizations, including Huntington-Oyster Bay Audubon Society, have come together to form the “Preserve Plum Island Coalition” for the common purpose of protecting Plum Island. While coalition members are aware of the numerous options and strategies available to safeguard the island’s resources (e.g. a state park) the Coalition strongly endorses the idea that all or a significant majority of the island be protected as a National Wildlife Refuge, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

With this in mind, HOBAS has created a Facebook page and an online petition. Please take a moment to sign the petition. Check out our Facebook page, Preserve Plum Island for news and progress reports. Read the Preserve Plum Island case statement for more in depth details on this important issue.

It is vital that we save one of the “Last Great Places on Earth”!

Click here to sign the petition

Preserve Plum Island Case Statement (pdf. - 773 kb)